A 32-year-old Torres Strait woman with Papua New Guinea links who contracted tuberculosis has died in Cairns Hospital in northern Queensland, ABC News reports.It is understood she had been a frequent traveller to Western Province, where authorities have described the threat from the disease as a public health emergency.She died in hospital last Monday due to complications arising from the disease, ABC News reports. Tests are being carried out to see if she had acquired the multi-drug-resistant strain of TB.Last week Prime Minister Peter O’Neill launched a national tuberculosis awareness campaign. "In our provinces of Gulf, Western and parts of Central, this disease is becoming a concern," he said. There has also been a spike in the number of cases in the Torres Strait, which is just four kilometres away from PNG.On Saibai Island last week, Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg called for the Australian Government to intensify its efforts to prevent the deadly disease crossing the border. The crossing between Torres Strait and PNG has been made for generations, owing to deep family and trade links between the two nations."When you’ve got third world at best health care treatment only four kilometres away and we have first world health care treatment here in Australia you know where people will go," Mr Springborg said."The Commonwealth Government is supposed to be working to build capacity in Papua New Guinea so they can treat their citizens where they should be treating them, on their own soil, and of course that hasn’t happened."Saibai Island councillor Ron Enosa was also concerned about the risk of tuberculosis crossing the water. "It’s a big issue – it’s getting worse," he said. Cr Enosa said the problem was a poor system of treatment in PNG.This year, 10 people in the Torres Strait region have contracted TB – up from three people last year.– ABC News